Sign transfer device



Jan. 1954 R. M. CHAVENEAUD 2, 67,6 8

SIGN TRANSFER DEVICE Filed Sept. 5, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 e a E a 4 i 2 2 a Jan. 26, 1954 R. M. CHAVENEAUD 2,667,628

SIGN TRANSFER DEVICE 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 5, 1950 Jan. 26, 1954 CHAVENEAUD 2,667,628

SIGN TRANSFER DEVICE Filed Sept. 5, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 26, 1954 R. M. CHAVENEAUD SIGN TRANSFER DEVICE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 5, 1950 1954 R. M. CHAVENEAUD 2, 8

SIGN TRANSFER DEVICE Filed Sept. 5, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Jan. 26, 1954 SIGN TRANSFER DEVICE Roger M. Chaveneaud, Paris, France I Application September 5, 1950, Serial No. 183,164

Claims priority, application France September 17, 1949 5 Claims.

The present invention relates to devices of'the kind comprising a plurality of juxtaposed members each of which is adaptedto be driven to various positions intended to correspond to signs such as letters, digits or quantities, numbered or not (marked), and the like, the whole making possible particularly to perform calculating operations on rows ofsuch signs. Said members may be of most various nature, such as rotatable, or however translatable, according to the nature of the applications in view, among which the following may be cited: calculating or computing machines, type-setting machines (such as Linotype machines, for instance), typewriting machines, safety locks (which application will be more particularly illustrated, mainly to explain the principles of the invention), looms, automatic telephone systems, telegraph boards, teleprinters, remote control, and generally any means for transmitting at a distance predetermined signs or quantities.

The invention principally consists, as applied to devices of the above mentioned type, when a sign, or a series of signs or quantities, appearing in a given order, is shifted in space on the said devices, instead of being therefore obliged to displace the assembly of juxtaposed members, to resort to means making it possible, by successively performing on the said elements a deleting combined with a transfer operation, to shift forward the said signs to one or more columns in a determined direction with reference to said members the assembly of which may remain fixed in space.

The invention also comprises further features among which the following:

One further arrangement consisting, in the above-cited devices, in inserting, between active or primary members intended to represent said signs or quantities, secondary members each of which is adapted to be momentarily connected at will to either of two neighbouring primary members, or to be free, the unit being particularly such that, in order to obtain the above foreseen deleting and transfer operation, there is only to provide a forward and back movement, or. periodic movement, in the forward phase, to obtain the deleting of primary membersby making the same to drive the secondary members and, in the backward phase, to perform deleting of the secondary members, said secondary members then driving the primary members, which results in transferring said signs through space to the next right-hand or left-hand column, depending upon the direction chosen for the above mentioned momentarycouplings;

any other proper I One third arrangement-relating more specially to devices of the above kind, the operation of which is intended to comprise registering of signs, particularly of numbered or marked quantities, on a series of members such as wheels-which consists in performing successive registering operations on one and the same memher or wheel, for instance on an end wheel and then to transfer the registered matter on the respective members by transferring means such as above mentioned;

And a fourth arrangement-relating to the same devices, consisting in arranging the latter in such a manner that the registering of a sign or quantity on one of the elements of said mechanisms automatically causes, particularly by means such as above-mentioned, the shifting of one or more, columns of the matter already registered on the various members, without the unit of said members being translated.

A more detailed description of the invention will be made hereunder with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 to 3 are perspective views, in three re- 1 spective various operating positions, of a device for registering and transferring quantities on and to various juxtaposed members in a number of successive columns, according to the invention; Figs. 4 to 7 are perspective views, respectively in partial axial section along line IVIV of Fig. 6, in a similar section at a further operating position, and in sections along lines VI-VI and VII-VII of Fig. 4 a safety-lock device according to the invention;

Figs. 8 and 9 are perspective views, of a portion of the device at two different operating positions;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of another portion of the device;

Figs. 11 to 13 are perspective views, at three further different operating positions, of one portion of a device of the same kind, according to a modification.

According to the invention, a device, comprising for example a number of successive rows of members each of which is adapted to occupy a plurality of positions corresponding to signs or quantities-for instance to letters in the case of typewriting or type-setting machines, or to digits in the case of any duodecimal, decimal, binary, or the like-system-and intended to establish means making it possible to give to a sign or sign row already represented or registered on the said device, a relative displacement in space, is to be operated in the following manner:

In the application to calculating machines,

such displacements are necessary whenever numbers are to be successively registered in various columns by means of a registering system having a reduced key-chain; it is then necessary to displace relatively one to the other, on the one hand, the whole device comprising the wheels intended to receive the digits and, on the other hand, either the registering system or an intermediary carriage. Similar conditions are met in calculating machines adapted to perform multiplying operations: for each partial multiplication corresponding to any digit of the multiplier the number registered on the totalizer must be given a relative displacement of one column, which makes it necessary to displace either the totalizer along its axis, or a movable carriage corresponding to the multiplicand. In the various cases met, as well in this application to the calculating machines as in the other applications foreseen comprising devices kind, every absolute or relative displacement of a quantity or series of quantities registered or disposed in a given order makes it necessary to displace either the whole device or the unit of a carriage cooperating with the said device.

To perform the displacements of said signs or quantities registered at a given moment on the corresponding member or members of the device, recourse is had, according to the invention, to

means adapted, by applying to said members a deleting followed by a transfer operation, in order to give the said signs a one or more column forward shift, on the device, the unit of which may thus remain fixed in space.

To obtain such conditions it seems judicious to resort to a preferred arrangement of the invention, in which there is inserted between said members, hereafter called primary members, intermediary or secondary members the function of which is to perform deleting and transfer operations, in combination with suitable manual or automatic control members.

Preferably secondary members will be of the same kind as primary members-that is, they will be adapted to be given the same rotating or translating displacements, depending upon cases met with, and the'operation consisting in displacing in space a sign or quantity or a row of signs or quantities will be performed in such a way that:

(a) The deleting of the primary members is performed, means being provided to insure a momentary coupling, during said deleting, between the secondary members and the primary members located on the same side (for instance, the right-hand side), in such a way that, in the case of numbered quantities, the said quantities, once the primary members are deleted, may be said to be negatively registered on the corresponding secondary members;

(1)) The deleting of the secondary members, displaced as just described, is effected, means being then provided to insure a momentary coupling, during the said deleting, between the lastnamed members and the primary members located on the other side (for instance, the lefthand side), this second operation again causing the registering of the said signs or quantities on the primary members, but with a one column shift, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. For the sake of simplification, it is assumed that primary members I, I, l", 1", etc. are of rectilinear general shape and translatable on guide-strips 3, carried on the frame of the mechanism, and that secondary members 2, 2, 2", etc. are also movof the above-described able on guide-strips 4, inserted between the former.

The stroke of the primary members is limited, at least at one end, by stops 51; when a primary member is leaning against its stop, it is at the zero position, or deleted position. The stroke of the secondary members is similarly limited by stops 52; the said secondary members are also at the deleted position when they are leaning against the latter stops.

On the other hand, it is assumed that each of the said members is adapted to occupy, in addition to the zero position, three further positions A, B, C (thisassumption is also made for simplification). From these four positions, there might be shifted, within the same principles, to any number of positions, such as ten or more.

Concerning the means for insuring the momentary coupling, such means may consist, for example, for the device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, in springy driving fingers 6, l the bent ends 61, 11 of which are adapted, by elastically deforming the said fingers to engage notches 3, 8 provided in the primary and secondary members, in numbers corresponding to all operating positions but the Zero position (three in the illustrated case). Fingers B, fixed, for example, on the primary elements, are engageable into notches 9 of the secondary elements, whereas fingers i, fixed, for example, on the secondary elements are engageable at 11, into notches 8 of the primary elements.

With reference to the means for controlling both forward and back operations as above defined, taking part in the respective deleting operations of both primary and secondary members, such means may consist, for instance, in a bar l0 movable transversely to said members and adapted to catch fingers 6, 1 by means of their tongues 62, 72, this catching simultaneously causing an elastic deformation of said fingers and the insertion of bent ends 61, h in the correspending notches 8, 9, at least concerning members staying at one of the three positions A, B, C.

The whole device operates in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 respectively corresponding to the following positions:

Fig. 1 corresponds to the position occupied by the device, when the primary members, assumed to be four in number as illustrated, respectively occupy, from right to left, positions zero, A, B,

zero;

Fig. 2 corresponds to the deleting control of the primary members, bar In being displaced downwardly, on the drawing;

Fig. 3 corresponds to the deleting control of the secondary members, bar l0 being brought back to its former position, which simultaneously performs the required transfer operation, position A, B, being shifted one column to the left.

Referring to Fig. 1, it can be seen that bar ID, at the beginning of its movement, first leaves fingers I, which rise and release the secondary members. By advancing, bar [9 successively lowers the fingers of the primary members, the ends of which engage notches 9 of the secondary members. The latter are thus driven with the primary members. As deleting ends (Fig. 2), all primary members are at position zero, while the secondary members have been displaced by quantities respectively corresponding to the initial positions of the primary members.

Fig. 3 is self-explaining: the operations are similar, but in the opposite direction to those of the preceding move, but as the coupling is obtained through fingers I of the secondary memhere, with the left-handprimary members, the whole is finally shifted one colunm to the left. 7

It will be understood that such shifting might as well be effected to the right as to the left. The coupling means might be of a quite different nature from those illustrated: they might be adapted to cause the transfer or progress transversely to the juxtaposed members to either the right, or the left.

The control of the transfer operation might be automatically applied as a function of any operation happening in the operating course of the device described. Thus, in automatic multiplying machines, a one column shift, on the totalizer, of the result of a partial multiplication by one digit of the multiplier, could be obtained by means according to the invention, without its being necessary to displace either the totalizer or the multiplicand carriage, the transfer control being automatically produced whenever there is shifted from one to the following digit of the multiplier.

It is also to be noted that the registering control in any column and the deleting and transfer control may be performed by one and the same system, with a plurality of operating phases, as will be set forth later on, with reference to Fig. 4 and the following figures.

Anyhow the invention enables:

If a quantity occupying one or more successive columns is already registered on the device, to make it progress either to the left, or to the right, and,

If it is intended to register the said quantity on the device, to perform this operation in any or more columns, differing from the columns which will finally be attributed to the said quantity.

Particularly this quantity or sign may be introduced at an end column and then shifted up to the required column or columns.

In this way, being intended to actuate a safety lock comprising several numbered wheels adapted to be brought to different respective positions corresponding to a determined number (that is the combination permitting to unlock), the following results are possible, owing to the invention:

Instead of having to manipulate the said wheels separately,

successively registering on the end wheel the various digits of the number, the registering of each digit being followed by a manipulation, or being combined to a manipulation capable to cause the transfer up to the wheel of the column corresponding to the said digit.

For instance, it may be proceeded as follows, with reference to Fig. 4 and the following figures.

These figures show a device comprising a series of wheels I, I, I", etc. (only two are shown in the drawings) adapted to occupy various positions corresponding to the respective digits of the number forming the lock combination, each of the said wheels being provided, for instance on its periphery, with a notch II (Fig. 9), adapted to cooperate with a latch I2 (the latch being operable whenever the notches of the Various wheels are on a line). On the drawings said wheels are assumed to be of annular form and rotatable in corresponding bearings of a casing I3.

According to the invention and in an analogeous manner to that above described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3, there are made to cooperate with the said wheels intermediary members such as 2, 2, 2', etc. A member of this kind is set 6 at the end of the pile, at 2 and is intended to receive the registering of every digit of the combination, as will be explained hereunder. These various intermediary members are set idle on a shaft I4, coaxial to primary wheels I, I, etc.

To make it possible, at will, to delete on the primary wheels or the intermediary members, a

series of arms I5 is carried by shaft I4 which is rotatable in either direction by means hereafter described, the said arms being adapted to cooperate:

For deleting on the primary wheels, with lugs I6 on said wheels (Figs. 4, 8 and 9), for instance, protruding outwards, and,

For deleting on the intermediary members, with other lugs I! on the said members, for instance, on one side of them.

The rotating displacements of shaft I4 have a 360 amplitude and are limited by a stop 5, or any other means. Fig. 4 corresponds to the deleted position of the intermediary members and Fig. 5 to the deleted position of the primary wheels.

To insure the momentary positive engagement of the primary members with the right-hand and left-hand intermediary members, recourse is had, as illustrated, to means making use, for such purpose, of a relative displacement of the two series of members. In'this way, shaft I4, which on Fig. 4 is assumed to be at a position insuring positive engagement with the left-hand intermediary members (registering member 2 then remaining free for separate driving), is adapted, for insuring positive engagement with the right-hand intermediary members, to be slightly shifted, as shown by arrow f (Fig. 4), to the position shown in Fig. 5. In either case, the positive engagement is made by any suitable means, for instance through direct drive dog clutches is carried on the intermediary members and with which lugs I6 of the primary members are adapted to cooperate.

Fig. 8 shows in perspective view the various members of one column at the relative positions shown in Fig. 4. Similarly Fig. 9 shows the said members in the relative positions shown in Fig. 5. Now, for controlling the shifting from one position to the other, as well as for insuring the forward and back rotating movement of shaft I4, for the purpose of deleting and transfer operations, there are advantageously used means interconnected with the registering system, that is with the system adapted to cause the registering of the digits of the combination.

For such purpose, there is used, as illustrated, a numbering dial 2!), of the kind of th dials used in automatic telephone stations, the movements' of the said dial being suitably coupled, on the one hand, to those of the above described shaft I 4 and, on the other'hand, to registering member 2, particularly in such a way that the forward and back rotation of the dial, for the registration of any digit successively performs,

. according to the same principles a set forth with reference to Figs. 1 and 3, the following operations:

First, at the beginning of its rotational movement in direction i1 and through an angle a (Fig. 4), shaft I4 is started in rotation and consequently, the primary wheels, which are now assumed to be engaged with the intermediary members shown at the left of the drawing, registering member 2" remaining free (in fact, said member is in contact with th 'driving member to be described hereafter);

Then, after the stop ofshaft i4, and while the dial is running on (strokes I) and c in Fig. 14), there is set in rotation through an angle proportional to the digit to be registered and in the same direction f2, a part 21, which drives registering member 2, with which it is, for instance, momentarily engaged through the agency of a lug 22, carried on the said member and engaging a notch 23 in the said part, and

Last, after the dial has been released and returns to its initial position, the three following operations occur: shaft M is shifted axially in direction 1 to engage the primary wheels with the right-hand intermediary members (Fig. 5), shaft i4 is rotated in the opposite direction (particularly as the dial runs again along stroke ain the opposite direction) tocause deleting on the intermediary membersand, then, said shaft is again shifted axially but in the opposite direction, to bring it back to its initial positon.

t may thus be seen that the result aimed at is well obtained as, on the one hand, the deleting on registering member 2 results in transferring the digit to the first primary wheel I and, on the other hand, as diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, this wheel, if it was already carrying a digit, had to transfer it to the following wheel, and

so on.

The above-mentioned move combinations are obtainable in various ways.

Thus, as concerns first setting shaft 14 and part 2! in rotation, such effect is obtained as i1- lustrated, by means of pinions 24, 25, adapted to mesh with toothed sectors vZii, 21, carried by dial 2%, in the above-mentioned angles a and 0. Sector 19 corresponds to a neutral space intended to prevent any wrong operation. Similarly, finger 22 engages notch123 (Fig. witha suitable play.

On the other hand, concerning the shifting of shaft- Hi in direction 1, this is obtained, as illustrated, from a tongue 28 (Fig. 6), adapted to occupy either of the two positions respectively shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and thus to insure, through transmitting means such as 29 to 3 I, the required displacements. On Fig; 4, the said tongue occupies a rest position, like shaft l4, under the efieot of a return spring 32. When the operator turns dial 2.0 in the direction of arrow ii, the tongue stays at the same position, by first sliding on a smooth .way 33, on the dial, and then on acastellated sector 34 (Fig. 4) But,,when the operator releases the dial, said dial being sprung inthe reverse direction, said .tongue leans on the bottom of a notch and is immediately reversed, taking. the position shown in Fig. 5, than driving shaft M in the direction of arrow At last, as soon" as the return movement of the dial is ended, the tongue falls into a notch 35 and is brought again to its initial position under effect of spring 32 (Fig. 7), bringing back shaft it towards the right.

It it to be noted that, on Figs. 4 and 5, dial 29 is viewed from the rear, but that, for the sake of clarity in the drawing digits 0, l, 2,. etc. have been nevertheless shown right side out. Anyhow the invention provides a safety device making it possible to successively register the digits forming thecombination by means of one single control member, and to translate the said digits, as the registration proceeds, on the intended wheels -I, l, etc.

Such a mechanism increases the safety, as an unauthorized person cannot know, at once, the number of digits of the invention.

However, it must be well understood; that the above particular application of the invention was only described and hown for illustration and that there are various other further possible applications, particularly for those above-mentioned, such as calculating machines. There is also to be noted, concerning the latter application, that the invention might be applied to calculating machines comprising a totalizer operable from a reduced key-chain (10 keys), which would dispense with resorting to a tabulating device, or to an intermediary carriage.

It is also to be understood that the kinematical means to obtain the above-cited displacements, as for interlocking the two series of members i and 2, might be different. Thus, in Figs. 11 to 13, there is shown a device of the same kind as shown in Figs. 4 to 10, according to a modification in which primary wheels I, I, etc. are guided by rollers 33 mounted on a shaft 36. The various members the shape of which is different from those shown in Figs. 4 to 10 are designated by the same reference numbers. The three Figures ,11 to 13 relate to three difierent operating positions. In Fig. 11, the primary and secondary wheels are disconnected.

Thus the invention is in no Way to be limited neither to those embodiments of its various parts, nor to those applications which have been particularly described. and shown. On the contrary the said invention extends to every possible modification, within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the type described comprising a series of relatively straight identical mechanical juxtaposed principal members longitudinally displaceable to occupy positions respectively corresponding to each of a plurality of signs which may form an indication comprising several successive such signs, means for moving each of said principal members to successively occupy positions corresponding to each of the signs of the indication to be registered, relatively straight identical mechanical auxiliary members one of which is arranged between each adjacent pair of said principal members and each of said auxiliary members conesponding to one or" the signs which are to constitute the indication to be registered, means for moving the principal and auxiliary members longitudinally in opposite directions, a first means for temporarily connecting each of the principal members to the auxiliary member that follows it in a predetermined direction, said connecting means being arranged to insure the simultaneous driving of each principal member'and of the auxiliary member that is connected to it by said means, means to disconnect the principal members from the auxiliary members which are connected to them by said connecting means, means to cause the prin cipal members to return to a neutral position, a second temporary connecting means between each of said auxiliary members and the principal member that follows it in said predetermined direction, said second connecting means being arranged. to insure the simultaneous driving of each auxiliary member and of the principal member to which it is connected by said means, means to disconnect the auxiliary members from the principal members which are connected to them by said second connecting means, means to cause the principal members to return to a neutral position, said principal and auxiliary members being provided with regularly spaced projections and said connecting means between said principal and auxiliary members being constituted by members arranged to engage said projections, and means for engaging such latter members with said projections and for disengaginp them from said projections.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which the members of the connecting means engageable With said projections comprise hooks respectively set elastically on said principal and auxiliary members, said hooks being normally disengaged from said projections, and means common to every principal and auxiliary member to engage the connecting means of each longitudinally movable member with the corresponding projection of a next adjacent longitudinally movable member to transmit longitudinal movement to the latter.

3. A device comprising a plurality of identical mechanical juxtaposed principal members displaceable to occupy positions respectively corresponding to each of a plurality of signs which may form an indication comprising several successive such signs, means for moving each of said principal members to successively occupy positions corresponding to each of the signs of the indication to be registered, identical mechanical auxiliary members one of which is arranged between each adjacent pair of said principal members and each of said auxiliary members corresponding to one of the signs which are to constitute the indication to be registered, means for moving the principal and auxiliary members in opposite directions, a first means for temporarily making each of the said principal members solid with the auxiliary member that follows it in a predetermined direction, said solidarizing means being arranged to insure the simultaneous driving of each principal member and of the auxiliary member that is solidarized to it by said means, means to desolidarize the principal members from the auxiliary members which are solidarized with them by said solidarizing means, means to cause the principal members to return to a neutral position, a second temporary solidarizing means for connecting each of said auxiliary members to the principal member that follows it in said predetermined direction, said second solidarizing means being arranged to insure the simultaneous driving of each auxiliary member and of the principal member with which it is solidarized by said means in the same direction, means to desolidarize the auxiliary members from the principal members which are solidarized to them by said second solidarizing means, means to cause the principal members to return to a neutral position, said principal and auxiliary members being provided with regularly spaced projections and each of said solidarizing means between said principal and auxiliary members being constituted by members arranged to engage said projections, and means for engaging such latter members with said projections and for disengaging them from said projections.

4, A device according to claim 3, in which said principal members and said auxiliary members are slidable with respect to each other in planes which are parallel with one another, the distance between said planes always remaining the same.

5. In a device of the type described, a series of identical juxtaposed principal members correspondingly displaceable to occupy positions corresponding to each of a plurality of signs which may form an indication comprising several successive such signs, means for moving each of said principal members to successively occupy positions corresponding to each of the signs of the indication to be registered, a plurality of identical auxiliary members one of which is arranged between each adjacent pair of said principal members and each of said auxiliary members corresponding to one of the signs which are to constitute the indication to be registered, said principal and auxiliary members having neutral positions in which they are arranged as an aligned series, means for moving the principal and auxiliary members in opposite directions, a first means for temporarily connecting each of said principal members to the auxiliary member which follows it in a predetermined direction, for the simultaneous bodily movement of such members, means to disconnect the principal members from any auxiliary members which are connected thereto by said connecting means, means to cause the principal members to return to said neutral position, a second temporary connecting means between each of said auxiliary members and the principal member that follows it in said predetermined direction, for simultaneous bodily movement of such members, means to disconnect the auxiliary members from any principal members which are connected by said second connecting means, means to return the principal members to said neutral position, said principal and auxiliary members being provided with regularly spaced portions and said connecting means between said principal and auxiliary members being constituted by members to engage such portions, and means for engaging such latter members with said portions and for disengaging them therefrom.

R. M. CHAVENEAUD.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,270,855 Magnus July 2, 1918 1,781,519 Nessell Nov. 11, 1930 1,781,520 Nessell Nov. 11, 1930 2,123,459 Andersen July 12, 1938 2,430,574 Laito Nov. 11, 1947 2,477,395 Sunstein July 26, 1949 2,539,659 Deutsch Jan. 30, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 371,964 Great Britain May 5, 1932 

